I gain ten years' worth of cultivation every day, and even geniuses will only see my doorstep!

Inside Tingzhu Garden, moonlight streamed through the bamboo windows and fell upon Qin Yuan, creating a faint silver halo around him.

A night of cultivation.

As the first rays of dawn pierced the darkness, Qin Yuan slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes gleamed with inner light, his breathing was long and deep like a dragon's, and the sound of wind and thunder could be faintly heard as his spiritual energy circulated around him.

The foundation has eight layers.

Overnight, he went from the peak of the sixth floor to the seventh floor and straight to the eighth floor!

If word got out about this speed, it would be enough to make all the elders of the Xuan Yuan Sect question their existence.

But Qin Yuan knew that this was far from the limit—last night he extracted twenty years of cultivation stored in the system and combined it with a wisp of pure spiritual energy left by Elder Xu in the Xuan Yuan Token to complete this leap.

He looked inward at himself and found that the Qi Sea in his dantian had expanded to a radius of two zhang. The liquid spiritual energy rippled like a lake, and each flow contained a vast power far exceeding that of others of the same level.

His spiritual sense range expanded to eight hundred feet, almost covering half of the Fifth Peak.

"That's about it."

Qin Yuan stood up and changed into a clean gray robe. Although the robe was simple, it gave off a sense of returning to simplicity when paired with his calm and composed demeanor.

As soon as the bamboo gate was pushed open, a respectful voice came from outside the courtyard:

"Senior Brother Qin, Elder Xu requests your presence in the main hall for a meeting."

Qin Yuan looked up and saw a young disciple, about seventeen or eighteen years old, standing outside the courtyard. He was wearing the blue robe of an ordinary disciple of the Fifth Peak, and his expression was reserved with awe.

"understood."

He responded and strode toward the main hall.

The fifth peak was quiet in the early morning. Birds sang sweetly, and the mountain breeze rustled through the bamboo forest.

Along the way, he encountered several early-rising disciples who all stopped and bowed respectfully upon seeing Qin Yuan, their eyes filled with reverence.

Yesterday's competition has made Qin Yuan's name known throughout Jiufeng.

The fact that Liu Feng, a sixth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator, could cripple a fourth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator with a single punch demonstrates that his combat prowess is among the top in the entire Xuan Yuan Sect's younger generation.

Moreover, it is rumored that he went from the seventh level of Qi Refining to the sixth level of Foundation Establishment in three days—this is beyond the explanation of talent, it's simply monstrous.

Qin Yuan remained calm, ignoring the gazes of the crowd, and walked directly to the main hall.

The palace door was ajar, and voices could be heard coming from inside.

He was about to push open the door when his divine sense swept into the hall first—

There were three people standing in the main hall at that moment.

In the center was a young man of about twenty-five or twenty-six, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, wearing a green robe embroidered with silver trim, the mark of an elite disciple of the Fifth Peak.

He stood with his hands behind his back in the hall, his expression arrogant; he was none other than Chen Tianyu, the senior disciple of the Fifth Peak.

On the left was a tall, thin man with a pointed snout and monkey-like face. His eyes darted around, and he looked like a cunning and calculating person. His name was Sun Xing, and he was Chen Tianyu's number one lackey.

On the right was a burly man with a thick waist and a fierce expression. His name was Wang Meng, and he was also one of Chen Tianyu's confidants.

"Senior Brother Chen, Qin Yuan was too prominent yesterday," Sun Xing said in a low voice. "He was personally received by Elder Xu and even bestowed a Xuan Yuan Token upon him upon entering the Fifth Peak. If this continues, I'm afraid your senior brother's status..."

Chen Tianyu sneered, "Status? I, Chen Tianyu, have been cultivating my position on the Fifth Peak for ten years. How could a newcomer like me possibly shake that?"

"That's true," Wang Meng said gruffly, "but that kid is really strange. I heard that before he was expelled from the Third Peak, he was only at the third level of Qi Refining, and now, just a few days later, he's at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment! This cultivation speed is simply unheard of."

Chen Tianyu frowned slightly: "Have you found out? Where has he been these past few days?"

Sun Xing quickly replied, "I've investigated everything. The day he was humiliated by Liu Feng, he returned to the outer sect hut and became much stronger the next day, crippling Zhao Hu. Then he participated in the competition, single-handedly defeating ten people from the Seventh Peak, and then accepted the mission from the White Bone Cave—it's said there are evil creatures at the Foundation Establishment stage there, but he returned unharmed."

"Then, yesterday's competition, where Liu Feng was crippled with a single punch."

"During that time, he only left the sect once, to go to the White Bone Cave." Sun Xing paused, a greedy glint in his eyes. "Senior brother, do you think he obtained some incredible opportunity somewhere?"

Chen Tianyu remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "The Bone Cave is a place with extremely heavy Yin energy, so it's indeed possible that it hides some ancient ruins or the cave of a powerful figure. But we can't rule out... that he truly had an epiphany."

"Sudden enlightenment?" Wang Meng scoffed. "One sudden enlightenment a day? And every time it results in a massive increase in cultivation? There's no such thing as sudden enlightenment!"

"Regardless," a cold glint flashed in Chen Tianyu's eyes, "he definitely has a secret. And secrets... can be shared."

Sun Xing's eyes lit up: "What you mean, senior brother, is..."

"Find an opportunity to probe his capabilities," Chen Tianyu said calmly. "If it's just an ordinary opportunity, make him hand it over to my senior brother so I can take care of him in the future on the Fifth Peak. If it's a great opportunity..."

He didn't finish speaking, but the cold glint in his eyes said it all.

Just then, footsteps were heard outside the hall.

A disciple rushed in and reported, "Senior Brother Chen, Lin Qing'er from the Third Peak has arrived. She says she's looking for Qin Yuan."

"Lin Qing'er?" Chen Tianyu raised an eyebrow. "That little girl from the same hometown as Qin Yuan? I heard she has good talent and has reached the tenth level of Qi Refining."

"That's right," the disciple said. "She's already at the foot of the mountain."

Sun Xing suddenly leaned closer and whispered, "Senior brother, I've heard that Lin Qing'er and Qin Yuan have a close relationship. If we..."

He made a "grab" gesture.

Chen Tianyu's eyes flickered: "You mean, use her to blackmail Qin Yuan?"

"Exactly!" Sun Xing said with a sinister smile. "Qin Yuan has just arrived at the Fifth Peak, and his foundation is unstable. If we capture this fellow townsman and force him to hand over the opportunity, would he dare to disobey?"

Wang Meng frowned: "This...isn't this a bit inappropriate? What if we make things worse and create a deadly feud..."

"A blood feud?" Chen Tianyu scoffed. "You think he has a good impression of me now? I was standing right next to him yesterday when Elder Xu bestowed the Xuan Yuan Token upon him, and he didn't even glance at me. This arrogant brat either needs to be completely subdued, or..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

"But Senior Brother," Wang Meng still hesitated, "Lin Qing'er is from the Third Peak after all. If we capture her, what will happen to the Third Peak..."

"The Third Peak would turn against the Fifth Peak for a mere Qi Refining stage girl?" Chen Tianyu sneered. "Besides, we don't even need to get involved ourselves. We can find two disciples who 'don't know' her, pretend it's a misunderstanding, and 'invite' her to the back mountain. Qin Yuan will naturally be anxious then, and we can step in to 'mediate,' doing him a favor and also probing his background."

Sun Xing clapped his hands: "Brilliant! Senior Brother's plan is brilliant!"

"Go do it," Chen Tianyu waved his hand. "Remember, do it cleanly."

"yes!"

Sun Xing and Wang Meng accepted the order and withdrew.

Chen Tianyu stood alone in the hall, his eyes unfathomable.

He's been stuck at the seventh level of Foundation Establishment for three years. Three years! The next step is the eighth level, which would qualify him to compete for the position of a personal disciple. But that step seems like an insurmountable chasm.

The Fifth Peak is already short of resources, with only three spots available for direct disciples, which have already been firmly occupied by the other two senior brothers. If he wants to stand out, he must have strength far exceeding that of ordinary people, or... a stroke of good fortune.

Qin Yuan's appearance gave him hope.

"No matter what secrets you have," Chen Tianyu muttered to himself, "I will make them mine."

Outside the hall, Qin Yuan withdrew his divine sense.

His face was expressionless, but his eyes turned cold.

He originally thought the Fifth Summit would be quieter, but on his very first day, someone set their sights on him, and even implicated Lin Qing'er.

"court death."

Qin Yuan pushed open the palace door and went inside.